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The draft law on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Law on Audiovisual Media authored by the NA deputies of Armenia Faction Lilit Galstyan and Elinar Vardanyan was debated in the first reading at the NA regular sitting on June 13, the adoption of which, according to the key rapporteur Lilit Galstyan, is conditioned by the necessity to eliminate the ambiguities in the current law and to reduce the obstacles for women candidates in the governing body of the Public Broadcaster, as well as in the Regulatory State Body.

The author stated that according to the involvement of women in the Council of the Public Broadcaster and the Regulatory State Body, the legal foundations are vulnerable, formulated with legal uncertainty, which does not provide sufficient guarantees and effective opportunities for realizing the potential of women more effectively.

It was noted that the current regulations do not reflect the principles established by the RA Constitution regarding gender issues, as well as the obligations assumed by the Republic of Armenia in accordance with the documents adopted within the framework of the United Nations, the OSCE and the Council of Europe.

The incomplete representation of women in the Council of the Public Broadcaster and the Regulatory State Body will be partially overcome with the adoption of the draft.

The co-rapporteur, the member of the Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport Hasmik Hakobyan presented the endorsement of the Head Committee.

Responding to the question of the NA Vice President Hakob Arshakyan about setting the percentage ratio, the co-rapporteur mentioned that this issue will be addressed during the period from the first to the second reading. According to her, the Committee also shares that viewpoint.

The MPs’ questions were mainly related to quotas.

According to the Chair of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs Vladimir Vardanyan, the draft law follows the requirements of the Constitution. According to him, equal participation should be encouraged by all possible means.

The co-rapporteur, the RA Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry Avet Poghosyan, mentioning that quotas are not the best tools to ensure the involvement of women, stated that the Government is not against the adoption of the draft. According to him, from the viewpoint of law, the rights of men and women are equally protected by the legislation.

The NA Vice President Hakob Arshakyan thanked the authors of the draft and the participants of the debate in his extraordinary speech. Answering the deputy Gegham Nazaryan’s question whether men hinder women’s involvement in various positions, he stated that, yes, men hinder women both at home, at school, and in the family, they hinder everywhere.

The NA Vice President is against making a difference between children in the family. According to him, our society has not overcome this obstacle yet. He said that both genders should be given equal opportunities in the family.

The deputies who took part in the exchange of ideas mainly touched upon the issues of equality between women and men. The necessity to overcome stereotypes was underlined. The adoption of the draft law was endorsed.